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St. Augustine Church (New Orleans)
Encyclopedia
St. Augustine Catholic Church of New Orleans is in the Archdiocese of New Orleans
. The parish was founded in 1841 under the episcopacy of Bishop Antoine Blanc
. Established by free people of color
, who also bought pews for slaves, this is the oldest African-American Catholic parish in the nation. It was one of the first 26 sites designated on the state's Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
.
The property on which St. Augustine stands was once part of the Claude Tremé plantation. It is now one of two Catholic parishes in the Faubourg Tremé
. The church is located on Saint Claude Avenue at Governor Nicholls Street, a block from North Rampart Street
and the French Quarter
. It was designed by the French architect J.N.B. de Pouilly, who worked on the expansion and renovation of the more famous St. Louis Cathedral
on Jackson Square
.
organized in the 1830s and received permission from Bishop Antoine Blanc to build a church, the Ursuline Sisters
donated the property, on the condition that the church be named St. Augustine, after one of their patron saints, Augustine of Hippo
. The church was dedicated on October 9, 1842. At a time when there were pew fees, free people of color paid for extra pews so that enslaved blacks could also attend.
The Tremé has traditionally been an African-American neighborhood, although it has included a mulitcultural community. Along with the neighboring parish of St. Peter Claver, the parish is known in New Orleans for its association with the black Catholic community. The church hosts the annual Jazz
Mass
, held in conjunction with the Satchmo Festival, which honors Louis Armstrong
's birthday.
Famous parishioners have included civil rights activists, musicians and other leaders:
Because of substantial property losses in the city after Hurricane Katrina
and decline in population, the diocese decided to close St. Augustine Church, despite the fact that it had been providing extensive community support. Parishioners asked hurricane relief volunteers for help in a protest. They barricaded themselves in the church's rectory to demonstrate against closure. After two weeks, parishioners and church officials agreed on a compromise.
The church was allowed to remain open after presenting a plan of action to address critical areas, including congregational growth, fundraising and management improvements. The archdiocese would review its status after 18 months. A documentary film about the protest entitled Shake the Devil Off increased publicity for the church's efforts to survive.
In May 2008 St. Augustine Church received a $75,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
and American Express
to aid in needed renovations to the historic parish hall, a center of community services. Enhanced use of the parish hall for community services was integral to the church's plans for the future. In March 2009, St. Augustine Church announced that due to its progress, the archdiocese had decided it would not be closed and had taken the church off probation.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
. The parish was founded in 1841 under the episcopacy of Bishop Antoine Blanc
Antoine Blanc
Antoine Blanc was the fifth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. His tenure, during which the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese, was at a time of growth in the city, which he matched with the most rapid church expansion in the history of New Orleans...
. Established by free people of color
Free people of color
A free person of color in the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved...
, who also bought pews for slaves, this is the oldest African-American Catholic parish in the nation. It was one of the first 26 sites designated on the state's Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail is a cultural heritage trail with 26 sites designated in 2008 by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included. In New Orleans several sites are...
.
Treme
Tremé is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Mid-City District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west...
. The church is located on Saint Claude Avenue at Governor Nicholls Street, a block from North Rampart Street
Rampart Street
Rampart Street is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana.The upper end of the street is in the New Orleans Central Business District...
and the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
. It was designed by the French architect J.N.B. de Pouilly, who worked on the expansion and renovation of the more famous St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral may refer to:* St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, 18th century* Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 20th century structure in St. Louis, Missouri* Saint Louis Cathedral, Carthage, 19th century structure, Tunisia...
on Jackson Square
Jackson Square, New Orleans
Jackson Square, also known as Place d'Armes, is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.-Design:...
.
History
When free people of colorFree people of color
A free person of color in the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved...
organized in the 1830s and received permission from Bishop Antoine Blanc to build a church, the Ursuline Sisters
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
donated the property, on the condition that the church be named St. Augustine, after one of their patron saints, Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. The church was dedicated on October 9, 1842. At a time when there were pew fees, free people of color paid for extra pews so that enslaved blacks could also attend.
"A few months before the October 9, 1842 dedication of St. Augustine Church, the people of color began to purchase pews for their families to sit. Upon hearing of this, white people in the area started a campaign to buy more pews than the colored folks. Thus, The War of the Pews began and was ultimately won by the free people of color who bought three pews to every one purchased by the whites. In an unprecedented social, political and religious move, the colored members also bought all the pews of both side aisles. They gave those pews to the slaves as their exclusive place of worship, a first in the history of slavery in the United States.
This mix of the pews resulted in the most integrated congregation in the entire country: one large row of free people of color, one large row of whites with a smattering of ethnics, and two outer aisles of slaves."
The Tremé has traditionally been an African-American neighborhood, although it has included a mulitcultural community. Along with the neighboring parish of St. Peter Claver, the parish is known in New Orleans for its association with the black Catholic community. The church hosts the annual Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, held in conjunction with the Satchmo Festival, which honors Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
's birthday.
Famous parishioners have included civil rights activists, musicians and other leaders:
- Homer PlessyHomer PlessyHomer Plessy was the American plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. Arrested, tried and convicted of a violation of one of Louisiana's racial segregation laws, he appealed through Louisiana state courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, and lost...
, civil rights activist, 19th c. (Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
Supreme CourtSupreme courtA supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
case) - Sidney BechetSidney BechetSidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
, jazz clarinetist, soprano saxophonist and composer - A.P. Tureaud, civil rights attorney in New Orleans
- Allison 'Tootie' Montana, Mardi Gras Indian "Chief of Chiefs"
Because of substantial property losses in the city after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and decline in population, the diocese decided to close St. Augustine Church, despite the fact that it had been providing extensive community support. Parishioners asked hurricane relief volunteers for help in a protest. They barricaded themselves in the church's rectory to demonstrate against closure. After two weeks, parishioners and church officials agreed on a compromise.
The church was allowed to remain open after presenting a plan of action to address critical areas, including congregational growth, fundraising and management improvements. The archdiocese would review its status after 18 months. A documentary film about the protest entitled Shake the Devil Off increased publicity for the church's efforts to survive.
In May 2008 St. Augustine Church received a $75,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
and American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
to aid in needed renovations to the historic parish hall, a center of community services. Enhanced use of the parish hall for community services was integral to the church's plans for the future. In March 2009, St. Augustine Church announced that due to its progress, the archdiocese had decided it would not be closed and had taken the church off probation.
External links
- Molly Peterson, "Black Catholics in Standoff over Closing of Parish", National Public Radio
- "Historic African-American Church Reopened after Weeks of Protest & Rectory Sit-In", Democracy Now, 10 Apr 2006
- Shake the Devil Off, Official Website
- "Historic New Orleans Church Gets Reprieve", CBS News, 9 Apr 2006
- Louisiana's African American Heritage Trail